Activist calls for revocation of permit for coal transportation

TURA, May 3: A social activist has filed a complaint with Chief Secretary, RV Suchiang against the permission granted to M/s Jai Maa Coal Private Limited to lift coal supposedly dumped at Gasuapara and transport the same to Bangladesh.
In his complaint to the Chief Secretary, Kingstone Bolwari claimed that there is no extracted coal dumped at Gasuapara but the order was apparently issued to facilitate fresh and illegal mining of the mineral from South Garo Hills.
According to Kingstone, the order granting permission to Guwahati-based Jai Maa Coal Private Limited to transport the said coal was issued by the Under Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya on April 28 following which, an impugned order was issued by the Deputy Commissioner of South Garo Hills on April 29 pertaining to the transportation of coal lying at Gasuapara area to Bangladesh. Kingstone alleged that while the government claims that the permission has been given to allow exporters to bring coal from outside to the Gasuapara Land Custom Station to be transported to Bangladesh, the reality was that Jai Maa Coal Pvt Ltd was transporting coal freshly mined from South Garo Hills.
“There is no stranded coal lying at Gasuapara as claimed. Therefore giving permission to transport the mineral to Bangladesh will give scope to transport illegal and freshly mined coal from the district,” Kingstone said in his complaint.
Kingstone added that there was no system in place for checking the number of trucks and quantity of coal that is being transported from outside the state. He cautioned that the same would encourage illegal mining in the district leading to revenue loss to the government.